Gratitude
As I write this it is Thanksgiving week and I am feeling tremendous gratitude for my life, I am a blessed woman and I am beyond grateful for the life that I live. I believe every stage and every age (or decade) we evolve, it happens multiple times in a decade, and at times it is driven either by desire or it can be detriment, life happening, and the peaks and Vally of life, it is both beautiful and also hard at times. At middle age, and closer to 60 than 50, I do look at things differently, and there is something so remarkable about this period in time (Empty Nesting and having space and time for the first time in our lives). Clearly I don’t know beyond this stage, but I look at my friends and family as they are HIPPer and Wiser, with even more experience and wisdom with older kids and the blessing of another generation. I can only imagine that to be the most amazing time in life (I see it and saw it with my parents and my in laws). While I am not in a hurry for that to happen, I am so loving the space and time right now, freedom, and enjoying the time with my kids, as they fly in and out of this nest of mine, while residing in my heart forever and always. Every Mom knows this feeling and at the core of our humanity, it is this love we can access not only for our kids, but for ourselves and each other. Leading with love, and putting our heart & soul into our people, and starting with ourselves first. It is a practice, it is not one and done. Every day is a new day, and every day is a new opportunity and invitation to check in with yourself, your heart, your soul, your body, your spirit, your mindset, your mental health and live a life that you love, or at least one that you don’t want to run away from. I know both very well, but honestly, it has been far more love, far more gratitude and living life with open eyes, a full heart, vision, intention and also compassion and patience, as the gears need to change, and it is learning how to slow down and just be. I know grief, loss, pain, and the feelings that are part of life, they are real, they are part of the package and while we can let go of a lot of it, with grief, loss or trauma, it becomes part of who you are. It is invisible, but it is there, and it is yet another reason to put your mental and emotional health first, to simplify your life in order to reduce stress, which is really hard for ambitious women, and also women that have a lot on their plate. Gratitude continues to help me live and experience life from a place of love and abundance, otherwise, fear/anxiety/grief/pain would lead the way and I would miss out on the joys in life, the happy moments, the innovation, creation, reinvention and restoration that we go and grow through. While we move forward, we don’t leave all the pain behind, we heal, and in the situation of loss, we bring those loved ones with us, because love never dies. So when you see this bubbly, positive, charismatic girl, that has passion and fire, know that she also has a scars, wounds, and invisible challenges that she accommodates and carries every day. While she has been through a lot, she knows that so many have been through far worst, and she also knows leadership, love and the importance of resiliency, it is how she grew up, and it is how she lives her life. I share this because it is important and might help someone, none of us are getting out of here without the whole human experience, I refer to it as Whole Life. Whats more, it is not just loss, having financial insecurity completely is a part of who I am, I have so much compassion for many, because I know what it is like, and I see you, I hear you, and I want to remind you, you are enough, there is enough and you were born for greatness. Your gifts are inside of you, and only you can truly ignite the power within, but you don’t have to do it alone, so grab hold of your precious life, your dreams, your desires, your discontents and let's write an amazing life story. Happiness is a feeling, it is not a destination, and it is the art of knowing how to experience simple joys. Never underestimate the power of the small things, the present moment and the magic of now. I found that I learned this lesson over and over, because as an ambitious woman and mom, I also demanded more family time and being part of their daily lives, I built a team and system to create that at home. I am so grateful for every stage, because it created who I am today, and I am back to simplicity, and just being me, and a fun loving woman that is aging gracefully, or at least that is the vision. I am in the pause, I am slowing down, and the scenic route is so much better, I have no regret of the fast lane, but my wisdom and experience teaches me to simplify, modify and continue to reinvent, grow, experience and be.
Gratitude is one of the pillars in Living HIPP. Here are some of the things that I am grateful for today:
—Guyer 5, my family is my everything
—Growing up Mellor, it was not always easy, but my parents demonstrated love and gratitude
—My health and that of my family, this truly is wealth
—My cockapoos, life on WBL is amazing. We love our walks, cookies and cozy vibe at home
—My marriage, I have had such strength in it and from it, while it is not always easy, my husband is my home
—My Yoga practice, I am so grateful I “get to” do Yoga every damn day (or 5 days a week)
—My Life today, I am present, I have flexibility and time and space that I never have had like I have now.
—My extended family, my parents, my bumpa’s, my siblings, I love and care for them all so deeply
—My Friends, each stage of life, both old and new friendships, I love my people and they love me.
—My Home, I love love love my home. It is a dream come true, and it is a wonderful life on WBL
—My AF Lifestyle and commitment. I didn’t get sober, I got curious, I got better, I made progress, I stumbled (just literal I swear) & I became FREE.
—My Spirit. It is the one thing that if I could bottle and sell it, we would be billionaires.
—My Introvert ways, I need rest, restoration and alone time, that is how I restore. While I bring the energy, more importantly, I need to unplug and learned to
—The version of me at every age and stage. I love her, I don’t know how she did it, but she did, and she lead with love.
—My ADHD, while it is not easy, it makes me who I am. I love that is makes me innovative, creative, a visionary sparks my imagination
—My mentors in life and business, I am so grateful for the people that have poured into me and believed in me. I always want to be that for others
—The Beach, it soothes my soul.
—Magical Mornings, a morning routine is and always has been important to me (since becoming a Mom). My soul craves this connection & reflection
—Good strong coffee. It is my beverage of choice
—Humility, I have had to grow confidence, because I had to be my own advocate at times. I know what it is like to feel less than, not enough and not included
—Positive Energy, I know it, and I bring it. It’s too much for some, but I’m not here to please everyone. It is mean’t to ignite others that vibe with it
—My businesses: Both DS companies I have been part of, and Living HIPP, they influence each other in the most dynamic way.
—Humor. I truly don’t think I could do life without it. Laugther is in fact medicine.
—Music, the soundtrack of my life, the therapy to my soul. Music captures all of the vibes, emotions and moments of this thing called life.
Gratitude is so Powerful. It has become my top 5 tools that I have consistently practiced for almost 10 years. I was inconsistent before that and that was better than nothing.
I encourage you this season to begin each day with gratitude, for those that decide to join the membership, daily gratitude will be facilitated and become part of your daily rituals, along side other really cool things that help make life better: happier, inspirational, productive & peaceful.